Juan Miguel Mas: Sustaining Dance on Havana’s Streets Amid Cuba’s Deepening Arts Crisis

Juan Miguel Mas, a 60-year-old dancer and choreographer from Havana who weighs 160 kg (352 lb), led Danza Voluminosa on the 2,000-seat National Theater for decades. In 2024 the troupe stopped regular performances, and in May 2026 his teaching contract with the theater was suspended. He now conducts free workshops for children and stages impromptu street shows in Marianao, turning a corner into a stage for about 30 youngsters and their mothers.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

Cuba is facing one of its deepest economic crises in decades, marked by blackouts, water outages, soaring costs and limited transport. The arts sector suffers cancellations, vanished production budgets and a mass exodus of talent. State-run cultural spaces that were once affordable have deteriorated, leaving only a few costly private venues. These pressures force Mas and peers to seek low-cost, community-based ways to practice dance.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

• 1996 – Debut of Danza Voluminosa, a troupe for larger-bodied dancers that performed at the National Theater for three decades.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

• 2024 – Danza Voluminosa ceased regular activity; Mas’s teaching contract with the National Theater was later suspended.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

• May 2026 – Mas began daily community workshops and street performances in Marianao.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

On a recent Saturday Mas walked six blocks to Marianao with a water bottle. Thirty children and their mothers gathered, turning the corner into a 90-minute stage. Dressed as bees and other bright characters, they sang and danced while Mas directed, stressing that art can lift participants “out of a reality defined by conflict.”

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

Arts journalist Michel Hernández called the current climate “complex and bleak,” noting the rapid loss of affordable cultural spaces. The National Theater’s suspension of Mas’s contract reflects broader budget constraints. The state does provide subsidized medication at a pharmacy across the street from Mas’s home, a modest support for residents.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades

Artists criticize the government’s failure to maintain public venues and production funding, arguing that the scarcity of affordable spaces accelerates talent loss and threatens Cuba’s cultural heritage.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island's art scene fades

• “The outlook for the arts is complex and bleak,” — Michel Hernández, arts journalist

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island's art scene fades

• “I am very interested in staying in Cuba,” — Juan Miguel Mas, dancer and choreographer

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island's art scene fades

• “Were I to emigrate, I would lose contact with that ‘Cubanness’ that exists here, with the audience, the people, the folks next door.” — Juan Miguel Mas

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island's art scene fades

• “It’s about bringing the knowledge of art to these children and lifting them out of a reality defined by conflict,” — Juan Miguel Mas

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island's art scene fades

Mas will keep offering free workshops, lease part of his home for modest income, and run weekend garage sales of recycled goods. His reliance on community and low-cost venues offers a resilient model that may endure despite ongoing economic strain.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island’s art scene fades